Dragon Chronicles
by EmeeEms
Summary: While on their way to another world, a strange force changes their route and they enter the country of Eldire, a land of dragons and humans. Better summery inside
1. A Place That's Not A Home

Reprise: Okay….fixed up this so it's more up to date.

Summery: While on their way to another world, a strange force changes their route and they enter the strange country of Eldire, a country of dragons and humans. But, Eldire is a very violent world with no color and is tormented by shadow dragons and robbed of their dragons of light. People who are in search of the thing that is strong enough to rid their country of the nightmarish dragons take in Syaoran, Sakura, Fye, Kurogane and Mokona. The five of them decide to help the rebels in their search (while they also search for Princess Sakura's feather). Unfortunately, there is no escape from these creatures' unearthly ability…an ability that could harm Sakura's missing feather.

Instead of making an Introduction like I always do with my stories, I merged it with Chapter 1…saves time.

* * *

**Dragon Chronicles**

**Chapter 1: **

**"A Place That's Not a Home"**

_There is a place far from here, where light cannot touch it. _

_Beauty dies in shadow's grasp as all fades away._

_Through hollow years, the memories slipped away,_

_seeping through the people's tight fists._

_And all has faded, all is now lost._

_Lost in this nothingness…_

_Lost in this place that's now so impure._

Over the hills where the green grass once grew, a small village stood empty and quiet. The cold wind blew bitterly, whistling through the trees and blowing in petals of flowers from somewhere far. It brought the smell of something long gone from this place…something that still existed somewhere else, giving a sense of need and desire. The village seemed so dead and yet when noon came, the people slowly began to come out from their hiding. They would go about their daily lives despite their uneasiness throughout the entire time. The farmers would go into the fields and people would go into the markets. Though the lands were gray and forlorn, it seemed normal. But, when the sun began to set, the bells in the towers that stood high in the villages began to ring loudly as the people ran into their houses, collecting carefully made goods into baskets. The women and children stayed fearfully in their houses as the men took the baskets with them to the other side of the hills. With their bravery pushing them forward and keeping them focused, they treaded over the hills with a quick pace, setting the baskets on a large circular stone plate that was located at the bottom of the hills and then would quickly leave.

No lights shined inside the small houses, giving the impression that no one was home. As night quickly fell upon the country, shadows crept out from all directions, slithering like snakes, running like wolves, crawling and creeping like something deviant. Towards the stone plate would they all come to, grabbing the baskets and breaking them open like eggs, eating the foods and pocketing the treasures. These wonderful offerings….all for them and no one else. All for them to take and have while the people stayed silently in their places of hiding. These creatures of shadows, mistakes of natures and of God take all that they want without trouble for nothing among the humans could ever keep them away. If ever such a thing would come to defy them would they kill without remorse or mercy.

The creatures must have felt uneasy that night just as the people had always been, for as they viciously snatched the baskets from the stone plate did they feel a something different move throughout the lands. Something different slowly spreading…

* * *

They flew through the winding tunnel of lights like birds. The first time they had gone through this tunnel of lights, they were lost in wonder for it was something so new and so make believe to them. But now, the five of them were used to this. Syaoran, Sakura, Fye, Kurogane, and Mokona were on their way to the next world to find Princess Sakura's next feather. It seemed as if they were almost to the next world when the lights in the tunnel began to flicker. The lights began to change colors and the path ahead was no longer clear. There was only a ball of darkness ahead of them. Sakura tightly grabbed Syaoran's hand and closed her eyes, afraid to look at what was before them.

"What is that?!" yelled Kurogane from behind him.

"I don't know but it doesn't look like it always does!" Syaoran called back.

Despite their efforts, there was no way for them to avoid the black sphere that was ahead and as they neared it, the sphere began to spread like shadows, attempting to wrap around them and pull them inside it. Sakura screamed at the sight of the lively shadows and Syaoran immediately held her tightly to keep her safe from it. The shadows took hold of them and before they could do anything else, were sucked into the darkness. The shadows then lashed out and took hold of Kurogane and Fye, pulling them towards it too. (note: is Mokona always with them while they're going through the tunnel or is he somewhere else? I dunno, I just never saw him floating with them).

"Let go of me!!" yelled Kurogane as he attempted to take out his new sword.

"I don't think there's anyway of breaking free," Fye cried over to him, "We should just go along for the ride if we want to find Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan again."

With that, Fye was pulled into the darkness and as he continued to fight, Kurogane was pulled in as well….

* * *

Syaoran opened his eyes to nothing but darkness. Around him, he saw Fye, Kurogane, and Mokona and in his arms, he tightly held Sakura. They all floated in the nothingness, the air around them constantly changed, going from cold to warm. The others seemed to be in between sleep and consciousness and upon trying to wake them up, he found that his voice was scratchy and dry. Nothing came out but a slight squeak. In his determination, he was about to try again when he heard a sudden noise from afar, immediately stopping him. Syaoran listened to the sound as it smoothly and softly flowed through the darkness, it's exact location untraceable. At first, the sound was faint and he couldn't tell if it was someone's voice talking or the sound of something moving. As it grew louder, he found that it was a harmonic sound, similar to a harp and was beautifully playing a song that was unfamiliar to him. As he continued to listen, the others slowly woke up from their deep sleep, the music instantly catching their attention.

"Where's that coming from?" Kurogane asked crossly.

"I'm not sure," replied Syaoran.

"Mokona likes it!" Mokona squeaked happily.

"You would," Kurogane said under his breath, "So you were pulled in too? I thought you were what makes the tunnels to the different worlds. How'd you get pulled in?!"

"Mokona doesn't know," he replied, "Mokona woke up in here."

"So…whatever it was that pulled us in here made us all sleep."

"Shh."

They sat in silence, listening to the sound. As they tried to pin point the music's location, the sound of someone's voice singing to the melody echoed. The tone of the music began to grow and as it did, the cold air around them began to change and stay warm. Syaoran listened carefully to the sounds and was finally able to pin point the direction it was coming from. He turned behind him and watched carefully, waiting for something to coming into view. Suddenly, like something flowing in the wind, a bright, shining, white creature appeared from within the darkness and made its way towards them. As it neared, Syaoran saw that the creature was not a horrid looking monster, but a beautiful and elegant dragon. Its face was narrow and smooth like a china doll's and its eyes were lovely amber brown. The dragon's body was smooth and slender and glowed a beautiful light bluish-white hue. It had long thin ears at the top of its head that looked similar to Kurogane's dragon kudan. On its forehead was a beautiful emerald green design that looked like two long diamond shapes twisting together as they got longer. Long spikes that pointed downward went from the top of its head and lined the back of its body and were black. The dragon's front and back legs were muscular yet still elegant. It's beautiful tail was long and waved up and down to the movement of the rest of its body, what looked like a green gem was near its end.

Syaoran, Fye, Kurogane and Mokona watched in silence as the dragon came up to them, curiously studying them. Now that it was closer to them, Syaoran noticed that there were smooth white wings folded closely to the dragon's body. He wondered why it wasn't using its wings to fly through this place. He then realized that they themselves were floating and that the place they were in must not have gravity. The dragon turned to Syaoran and put its face close to his as it studied him. The dragon's eyes reflected gentleness and Syaoran felt a wave of relief brush over him. He felt safe in this creature's presence.

The silence was then broken as a black streak from the in shadows shot out and violently slashed the dragon in its right shoulder. The dragon cried out in pain as it flailed around, turning away and began to fly to the left.

"Wait! Please help us!" Syaoran cried out to it.

The dragon looked back sadly at Syaoran but didn't stop. As it continued to fly, it let out an almost harmonic roar or moan, which triggered something to appear before it. A multi-colored light appeared and the dragon disappeared into it. Strong wind began to pull Syaoran and the others towards the light and before they knew it, they were gone from the dark place.

It all went by so fast. Syaoran had closed his eyes the entire way through the tunnel of light. He would have kept them open if not for the bright light that shined throughout the strange hole. But, in a flash, the light was gone and Syaoran opened his eyes to the sight of tall trees towering above him, blocking the sunlight with their dinner-plate-sized leaves and thick branches. He looked down to see Sakura, still asleep in his arms. Behind him, Syaoran saw Fye, Kurogane and Mokona. Mokona dancing on Kurogane's head happily as he yelled at him to get off, Fye sat where he was a watched the two fight.

"Is everyone okay?" asked Syaoran.

"Yes, I'm alright and it looks like Kuro-pin and Mokona are okay too," answered Fye.

"What did you call me?!" yelled Kurogane as he pulled Mokona off his head.

Sakura's eyes slowly opened and looked up at Syaoran, a smile appearing on her face. Slowly, she rose from on his lap and rubbed her eyes sleepily and looked around curiously. She had been asleep the whole time and was clueless as to what had happened. All she remembered was the ball of darkness pulling her and the others in and then there was nothing.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," answered Syaoran, "Mokona, do you sense Sakura's feather anywhere on this world?"

"Mokona senses many different things here. I can't tell which is Sakura's feather," he answered.

"Then we should stay here and see if it's really here or not."

Sounds of wildlife stirred in the thick forest that was in front of them while in the back, sounds of some other kind of life could be heard. The sounds intrigued them and after rising from the ground, they began walking in the direction of the strange sounds. As they cut through the thick bushes and grass, the sounds became clearer. The muffled sounds now sounded like cries. The more they heard, the more worried and interested they became and began to quicken their pace. Looking through the undergrowth, they saw a small village. People were running around back and forth in a panic, worried and fearful looks on their faces and baskets of goods in their arms. Others were arguing violently with one another, from verbal exchanges to physical fights, as groups of others watching taunted and cheered them on. A large circle of people then formed and they assumed that there was a big fight taking place within it. The screams grew louder and people began to run from the fight, keeping the children and goods away. Syaoran, Sakura, Fye and Kurogane walked out from within the woods, Mokona was tightly held in Sakura's arms. They slowly walked towards the village, not wanting to get anyone's attention and cause more panic. A woman noticed them coming towards her and her suspicions caused her to step back, trying to avoid them.

"Excuse me," said Syaoran to the woman, "Can you tell us what's going on?"

"Who are you? Where did u come from?" she asked them fearfully.

"We're travelers," said Fye, "We're new here."

"I'll say," replied the woman crossly as she looked at them from head to toe.

"Can you tell us what's going on?"

"Same thing that goes on every time those rebels come," said the woman, pointing towards the circle of people.

In the circle, a large man was fighting with a teenage boy, about the same age as Syaoran and Sakura. He had very dark brown hair and amber brown eyes. He wore a long black hooded coat and had black baggy pants with black boots. His shirt underneath the coat was dark blue and on his hands were fingerless black gloves. The older man was tall with a heavy build and was slightly balding. His eyes were a fierce reddish-brown and he wore a green vest-like shirt that was lined orange and he had brown pants. He clenched his fists tightly as he tried to hit the boy who swiftly dodged each blow. The man then took out a pocketknife and began to try and slash him, but still did not succeed.

"Why don't you just get out of here and stay out?!" yelled the man.

"Why won't you accept what we're trying to do for you?!" snapped the boy as he pulled out a long dagger of his own and lunged at the man.

The two clashed blades with each other, glaring spitefully at one another. Pushing away, they both fell backwards, keeping their balance and staying in a fighting stance, glared at each other even more in intimidation. Lunging toward each other again, the man was able to over power the boy, knocking him to the ground.

"Ignorant boy, you're wasting your time!" shouted the man, "There is no such thing as the hybrid!"

"Yes there is! You're the ignorant one!"

Syaoran and the others watched with interest.

"Hybrid?" Syaoran quietly asked to no one.

Before the boy could get up, the crowd around them suddenly began to depart at the sounds of a woman's yell.

"Stop this nonsense now!" shouted the voice crossly.

The people moved to the sides to let an old woman walk by. She wore a white inner kimono with a lavender outer kimono over it. She had dark purple hakama pants and a matching kimono sash across her waist. A small cherry blossom pattern lined the front of the outer kimono. Her face was delicate, despite her age and she looked at the two sternly.

"I demand that you stop this senseless fight!" she snapped, "Leave each other alone. I care not what reasons you fight for or of what business these rebels come with. Be at peace now."

The older man lowered his knife, looking at the woman in frustration and then again at the boy. Feeling defeated, he put away the knife and walked away, pushing people to the sides. The boy sighed as he put away his dagger, looking down at the ground tiredly. The old woman walked up to him, her stern look replaced with a sad one.

"Why do you do this?" she asked him.

"You know why."

Things seemed to quiet down as the people went back to their own business, packing things in baskets and other bags. Syaoran, Sakura, Fye, Kurogane and Mokona looked around and felt that they were well blended in with the crowds, even though they wore slightly different clothing. But, this ended as the woman who they had talked to before called out to the old woman.

"Priestess!" she called out, "Priestess, these people are travelers!"

The old woman turned and looked their way, a look of interest on her face as she walked up to them. After she looked them over carefully, she gave them a welcoming smile.

"Travelers, eh?" she asked, "And for what reason do you come to a place like this?"

"Um…well, we're looking for something," answered Syaoran uneasily.

"Travelers!" shouted the boy from behind the woman, "You're all looking for it too then!"

"Actually…I don't think-"

"You should come with us then. We'll look for it together," the boy said eagerly.

"Calm down," the woman said, "Please excuse him. It is rare nowadays for anyone else to believe in what they do and dedicate themselves to it. I am Lady Katiya, the priestess of this village. This is Aidiaro, he is one of the rebels of this country."

"And what country is this?" asked Fye kindly.

"Eldire," answered Lady Usagi, "Come with me and we'll talk more. You obviously are new to these lands if you don't even know its name."

Lady Usagi led them to her own large hut, where she alone stayed. Since she was the head priestess of the village, she was very respected. Inside, they all sat around a large rectangular table. Ladies dressed in red and blue came with tea, biscuits, and other foods and set them on the table. Lady Usagi took a small sip of her tea before setting it down and looking at Syaoran.

"So, you are looking fro something?" she asked him.

"Yes, we're looking for-"

"The hybrid!" interrupted Aidiaro.

"Actually, we're looking for something else," said Syaoran, "It a feather…a special feather for Princess Sakura."

Syaoran pointed to Sakura who was sitting next to him. Aidiaro's excited face quickly turned to disappointment and he looked blankly into his cup of tea.

"I'm sorry for assuming that," he apologized.

"It's alright," said Syaoran.

"Can you tell us what this hybrid that you keep mentioning is?" asked Fye.

"Of course," said Lady Usagi as she took another sip of tea, "In our country, we humans live peacefully among dragons. But, some years ago, the good dragons were driven away by the dragons of the shadows. The Nightmare Dragons, as we've come to call them, have controlled our way of life for many years and it has caused the people of Eldire to become violent and fearful."

"So that explains why everyone was running around like that," said Kurogane while Mokona secretly stole a biscuit from his plate.

"And the white dragon we saw while coming here," added Syaoran.

Aidiaro stopped and looked up at Syaoran with wide eyes.

"A white dragon? You saw a white dragon? With brown eyes, right?"

"Yes. Its eyes…I could tell it wasn't a bad dragon," Syaoran said as he remembered the kind eyes of the dragon, "I guess that's how you can tell the good ones from the bad… a feeling."

"Yes. But sadly, they left and never came back," said Lady Usagi.

"And where does this hybrid thing come into place, huh?" asked Kurogane.

"It's been said that the only thing that can rid Eldire of the Nightmare dragons and bring the dragons of light back from wherever they've gone to is the Hybrid…half human and half dragon. The mixed species," said Aidiaro in admiration.

"Yes, but there is no such thing as the Hybrid," Lady Usagi said seriously, "It is only rumor…a mere myth."

Syaoran saw Aidiaro's face turn cross, his eyes glaring into his tea and his grip on the cup slightly tighten.

"Aidiaro and his sister lead a group of rebels who are determined to find the Hybrid in order to get rid of the Nightmare dragons," she continued, "They have been for a while now and many of the villagers feel that they are making the Nightmare dragons angry with them. But…Aidiaro…you told me that you were told that there is no Hybrid. So I ask you…why do you persist?"

Aidiaro was quiet and did not look up at Lady Usagi, his eyes still fixed on his reflection in the cup of tea. It seemed as if he was trying to block out that fact from his memory, not wanting to believe it completely. An uncomfortable feeling overcame both Syaoran and Sakura as Kurogane tried getting his food back from Mokona; Fye only sat there, trying to divide his attention.

"We could help you look," Sakura said, breaking the awkward silence, "And you could help us find my feather."

"That sounds good to me," said Fye.

"You…you would want to help us find it?" asked Aidiaro with surprise.

"Yes."

Aidiaro couldn't believe his ears and took a few minutes to let it all sink in before jumping up to his feet.

"Then come on, we have to go now before it gets dark," he said as he ran out the door.

Confused, the five of them quickly got to their feet and followed. As they came out from inside the hut, they saw a young girl, a couple years older then Aidiaro, walking up towards the hut, pushing and hitting guys out of her way as they run towards her threateningly. She was about medium height and had long straight black hair that went down to the small of her back. She had piercing amber brown eyes and wore a black and red outfit, similar to a kimono and hakama pants. Strapped to her back was a sword.

"Aidiaro!" she called, "I thought you weren't gonna bother the villagers again."

"Sorry. But, it's a good thing I did. I found some people who are gonna help us," he said, turning towards them, "This is my sister, Syaika."

"Introductions later, Aidiaro. We have to go before it gets dark," she said hurriedly as she turned away, "Let's leave the people to give another hard day's work as offerings to their dragon oppressors."

Following Aidiaro and Syaika, the five of them left the small village behind in their fear. Apart of them wished to stay and help, but inside they knew that going with the rebels would help them more then staying. As the sky began to turn orange and red, they watched as the people in the villages ran from the fields and hurried, collecting things in their baskets.

"What are they doing," asked Sakura.

"In order to keep the Nightmare dragons happy, the people are forced to farm their crops from noon til the sun sets and then they all collect half of their farmed goods and other stuff in baskets," explained Syaika, "The men then go to the other side of the hills and leave the baskets there, then return to the village where they stay in the basements of their houses. They only live in their houses during the day and go in the basement for safety at night."

"That's not a very nice life to live," said Sakura sadly.

"And that's not a life we want to have to live," added Aidiaro.

Everyone, especially Aidiaro, remained quiet as they continued down the dirt path that led towards the forests. Something was going on in his mind, nagging at him and upsetting him. Syaoran looked at Aidiaro, noticing the expression of sadness on his face. Not wanting to pry, Syaoran didn't ask him what was wrong. Unknown to Syaoran was the fact that no one would be able to tell him what was going through his mind…what was bothering him so much.

As night fell on them, they heard the distant cries of the Nightmare dragons. Their terrible shrills echoing throughout the land of Eldire and somewhere out there was Sakura's feather…waiting to be found just like the mysterious Hybrid.

_To be continued…

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_

Reprise: Finally, I finished this chapter XD. You don't know how badly I've wanted to finish this. Here are just a few things for you:

Pronunciations:

**Aidiaro**: Aid-E-r-O

("A" is long like in aid; "E" is long like in ear; say the R and then the o; "O" is long like in open)

**Syaika**: sIgh-Ache-a

("I" is long like in the word ice; first "A" is long like in aim; 2nd "A" is short like in cat)

I just thought that's be helpful 3. Hope you liked it so far and I'll try my best to update soon. Please review! (no flames, thank you)


	2. Where The Wind Gently Blows

Reprise: Whoa, where have I been lately, right? I'm so happy! I got a review...yay!!! These days it's hard to get any attention for some reason XD.

Disclaimer: I do not own TRC…damn again. (did I put this last time?)

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**Dragon Chronicles **

**Chapter 2: **

**"Where the Wind Gently Blows"**

_Listen to the wind as it gently blows._

_Whispering something I barely can hear._

_If anything would I like to hear it's secretive words._

_If anything to hear what the wind blows…_

Cries from afar echoed in the night as lights in the tents in the small camp sight flickered in the night like small candles. The rebels had traveled up a steep hill in the forest on a dirt path that was barely visible from the underbrush that almost completely covered it. Only the dim lights from their lanterns helped lead the way to their secret camp sight that was hidden from the sight of others by large boulders and trees. Once there, the rebels wasted no time in getting to their tents, Aidiaro and Syaika taking Syaoran and the others with them in their own tent. The tents were camouflaged with their scenery and were big enough for about four people a tent, all except Aidiaro and Syaika's tent, which was big enough for ten. In the middle of the camp sight was a small bon fire, lighting the rest of the area that the lanterns couldn't light. Syaika helped Syaoran, Sakura, Kurogane, Fye and Mokona get settled, giving them plenty of pillows and blankets to use for beds. As they made their beds and talked, Syaoran noticed that Aidion was nowhere in the tent and he became curious. Knowing that the tent had no extra rooms, Syaoran walked quietly to the opening of the tent and peered outside. He saw Aidiaro walk away and out of the camp sight, unnoticed by any of the other people as they unpacked and went inside their tents. Aidiaro's sudden distance somewhat worried Syaoran and he quietly left the tent to follow him. As Syaoran left the camp area, the lights of the small bon fire went out and all was cloaked in shadow.

The pathway Syaoran followed seemed to have been taken many times before. It was also a dirt path but unlike the other path, not many weeds or other undergrowth covered it. As Syaoran continued down the worn path, he heard the light sounds of water flowing. He became more and more intrigued as the sound grew louder and peeking through the large-leaved bushes, Syaoran saw Aidiaro, sitting on a large rock that jetted out over the a lake. To the far right, there was a small version of a waterfall, small rocks were piled on each side of it and the water gently flowed into the lake. Aidiaro seemed to be lost in a trance, staring blankly into the lake and at his reflection. It was the same look he had when they were inside Lady Usagi's hut at the village. Syaoran tried to look back to the exact time when he started acting this way and it didn't occur to him before, but it was something he had said.

"_When I told them about the white dragon," _Syaoran thought, _"That was when he became so distant. Was that a special dragon around here?"_

Syaoran then decided to confront Aidiaro and stepped out from behind the bushes. The sudden sound of the bushes rustling surprised Aidiaro. He looked and saw that it was Syaoran and he became calm once again.

"Syaoran, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"You didn't seem yourself so I followed you," answered Syaoran, "Is there something that's bothering you? I wasn't going to ask before but-"

"No, it's fine," he said, stopping him.

Aidiaro looked up at the sky, his eyes fixated on something passing by. Syaoran looked up and saw a white dragon quickly yet elegantly fly by; the same white dragon he saw before. Looking back at Aidiaro, he noticed that the blank look was back on his face. Turning away, Aidiaro walked towards Syaoran.

"Come on," he said as he walked passed Syaoran, "We should go back and get some rest."

Though something didn't seem right, Syaoran decided to leave the topic behind and followed Aidiaro back to the camp sight. The dragon in the sky quickly flew on; forbidding shadows without a recognizable form followed it closely.

The light of dawn shinned through the opening of the tent and into their eyes. Sakura and Syaoran slowly opened their eyes and rubbed them sleepily. Fye sat up from his bed and stretched his arms into the air while Kurogane grumbled and pulled the blanket over his head. Mokona gleefully jumped up from his spot and on top of Kurogane, pulling down the blanket from his head.

"Wake up Kurogane!" he said with joy, "Ninja's are supposed to get up early, aren't they?"

"Get off me!" Kurogane snapped as he grabbed Mokona by the ears.

Ignoring the yells, Sakura looked and saw small neat piles of folded clothes next to their beds. On top of each of them were small note cards with their names on them. They both took the pile of clothes that had their name on it and got dressed in them. Sakura wore a small pink shirt that was similar in size to the one she normally wore. Underneath it was a long black shirt that went up to her waist but was close to her body. It had a turtleneck collar and long sleeves. She wore dark pink skirt that went just above her knees and black baggy pants underneath. Around her waist was a ribbon-like belt that tied into a bow in the back and on her feet were black slippers.

Syaoran wore a long-sleeved black shirt with a turtleneck that was much like the shirt he usually wore. Over the shirt he wore a long emerald green vest-like coat that he kept open instead of buttoned closed. The lining of the vest was a darker shade of green and he wore baggy black pants. He still wore his gloves and black boots.

Fye wore an outfit that was similar to Syaoran's, with a few differences though. He also wore a long-sleeved black shirt but it had no turtleneck. He wore a light blue vest-like coat that went down a little past his waist and the lining was a dark blue. His pants weren't as baggy as Syaoran's and they were a dark navy blue color, but his boots were black like Syaoran's.

Kurogane's outfit was a bit more different then Syaoran's and Fye's. He wore a short-sleeved black turtleneck shirt with a black vest that went up just above his waist. The lining of the vest was red and was left opened. His pants were baggy and his boots were black. On his wrists were black bands and around his waist was a thick reddish-brown belt where his sword was attached.

The only thing Mokona wore was a small red vest.

After they got dressed, the five of them got up and went out side to the camp sight. Aidiaro and Syaika were already up with the other rebels, packing their backpacks with supplies. They dodged the random people that walked back and forth as they made their way to Aidiaro and Syaika. Aidiaro looked up to see the three late risers and greeted them with a smile.

"I see you're all finally up," he said, "We were just about to go and wake you up Oh and you're wearing the clothes we got for you. You like them?"

"Yes, thank you," Sakura replied.

"Why is everyone packing?" asked Syaoran.

"We're getting ready to go on our usual search," Aidiaro said excitedly, "Every morning we go and find clues to where the Hybrid might be. If we find something really good, we mark it and keep going."

"If nothing better comes up, you go back to the marked place, correct?" asked Fye with his usual smile on his face.

"Yup."

"This will be great!" exclaimed Aidiaro, "With your help, we'll cover more ground!"

Although this was only the second day they were in the strange country of Eldire, Syaoran could tell that Aidiaro was a very adventurous person. It seemed that nothing, not the small possibility of the Hybrid's existence or the arrogance of the villagers, could convince him to stop searching in what he believes so deeply in. He was tough as well as caring…something both Syaoran and Aidiaro had in common. But, there were still those moments of distance that he'd suddenly have, giving him an almost mysterious side as well. In all his anticipation, Syaika roughly smacked Aidiaro in the head with a rolled up map. She looked at him sternly as she lowered the map.

"My dear brother, please learn to bottle your excitement inside so you don't scare off people," she said calmly, "You can always explode with joy when we actually find something worth the enthusiasm."

"Uh-huh," Aidiaro replied dully.

Syaika seemed to be a very serious person who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty with a job. From the first day they saw her in the village they saw how tough and strong she was, giving them reason as to why they wouldn't want to cross her. She lifted her back onto her back and began walking, signaling to Aidiaro with her hand that they were leaving.

"Everyone goes with their usual groups," she announced to everyone, "Our new friends here will be coming with Aidiaro and me."

With her announcement said, the rebels departed, going in the woods in different directions in groups of five and six. With a last quick check of their supplies, they finally left into the deep woods in search of the Hybrid…as well as Sakura's feather.

* * *

The villagers woke up an hour earlier then expected from the sudden cries of someone outside. Fearfully yet curiously, the people looked out their windows and stepped out of their houses one by one. They saw a young man running from within the woods and into the village. He was so hysterical that it looked as if he'd cry at any minute and once he finally came into the middle of the village, he collapsed in exhaustion. From outside the large crowd of people that formed around him, Lady Usagi hurried to the man's side. With one good look at him, her eyes widened in astonishment and she quickly lifted his head from off the ground.

"My god! You are that boy…Anthony!" she gasped, "You went missing in the forest years ago! Tell me, are you not that same boy?!"

"…Y…Yes.." he answered with a struggle.

"W-where…where have you been?! What happened to you?" she asked frantically.

"It…they…ahhhhhh!" he screamed as he lowered his head to his knees and tugged at his hair in frustration.

"Calm down, it's alright," Lady Usagi said comfortingly, "We'll take care of you first. Then you can tell us all about it."

Anthony's eyes widened in fright as he immediately lifted his head from off the ground and stared at Lady Usagi in horror. He then quickly backed away from her as if she was one of the nightmarish dragons that the people feared so deeply.

"No! No, don't!" he cried.

Anthony then rose to his feet and began running, pushing aside the people who were crowded around him. Lady Usagi cried out to him to stop but he ignored it. Far from the crowd, a woman in a black cloak watched the boy run away with interest. Her piercing magenta eyes watched as he disappeared around the corner of a building

Anthony ran blindly through the alleyways of the village, looking for a safe place to rest. He felt no safety near the people despite the fact that he once called them friends. For years he had run through the forest that he went lost in and now, when he finally found his way home, he refused to look the people in the eye…the same people who had searched tirelessly for him. Something had happened to him to take away the trust he had in the people and it was something that he continued to suppress. As he came to a quiet and isolated spot in the village, he collapsed once again onto the ground. Relief overcame him as he dragged himself to the side to rest against a stonewall. He then felt a shadow fall upon him and he opened his eyes to see the cloaked woman with the piercing magenta eyes. At first, he was frightened and struggled to his feet. The woman then knelt down before him and flashed him a gentle smile as she extended out her hand.

"Fear me not, lost one," she said with a mysterious voice, "I know what tears at you so. I understand the things that are going through your head for I have experienced the same thing in my past. Please share with me yours."

Anthony calmed down from the sound of her soothing voice and kind words. He looked at her in the eye and took a deep breath.

"I…I saw it," he said, "I believe now the words that were spoken to us by the rebels of our country. I saw with my own eyes the soul that we see as myth. Oh, the great heavens above blessed us with a small thing that holds such power. The thing to bring back the light and wash away this eternal darkness. Heaven above, I now believe!"

His voice grew louder as he spoke, looking up to the heavens with tears forming in his eyes. The woman looked at him with a blank expression. Her eyes showed no doubt but showed no joy. She then pulled him up from his feet and looked at him in the eye, holding him close to her.

"Let the heavens above not hear a word. Let the heavens above make no sense of it," she said quietly to him.

His eyes then showed remorse for letting the woman in as he gazed into her magenta eyes…eyes that now seemed almost red. They were closed to a cat's eye, slit and sharp as well as deceptive. He then felt the sting of something sharp, piercing into his stomach. It was like the blade of a knife but was more slender then that and it went right through him. He looked once more at the woman, her eyes showed the same fierceness as they did before and her lips were now curved into a wicked smile.

"Let not a soul hear these words," she spoke.

The long slender blades retracted from inside him and he then fell to the ground, his blood surrounded him. The woman looked down at him, her smile returned into a serious frown. Her fingers were now stained with blood but did not seem to bother her at the least.

"Letting you go seems to have been a mistake," she said as she looked at the forest behind, "Those three better do a good job. Cause now we know for certain of what lies beyond our sight."

She then turned back and began walking, her presence went unnoticed by the people who continued to search for poor fallen Anthony.

* * *

Hours had gone by and nothing of interest could be found. Kurogane seemed to be the only one who was getting irritated, Syaoran and Sakura were tired but not enough to complain, and both Fye and Mokona were happy as usual. The sky was growing dark and they decided to head back before the nightmare dragons came out. The sounds of nocturnal animals sounded throughout the woods and were calming until one loud screech echoed from afar. The seven of them stopped in their tracks and looked around them, curious as to where it exactly came from. After a few minutes, another screech echoed followed by a different sound. It was somehow familiar and was lovelier then frightening. Looking into the sky, they suddenly saw a white streak pass by, followed by three shadowy streaks. Sounds of high-pitched laughter rang out and the white streak seemed to be getting tired. Syaoran then realized what the streak was.

"It's that white dragon again!" he yelled.

Aidiaro's face became shocked and after hearing that, he quickly followed the streaks in the sky as they continued to fly away.

"Aidiaro!" called Syaika.

They quickly followed Aidiaro, running through the dark woods without worry. There was a sudden pain filled and frightened screech followed by an earth-shaking thud ahead of them. They looked up to see the three shadowy streaks head towards land, slowly taking another form. Unfortunately, the large branches and leaves of the trees blocked their view of the creatures forms, leaving them to assume the dreadful truth….that these shadowy streaks were indeed Nightmare Dragons. The very thought immediately raced through Syaoran's head and he had the feeling that the others thought the same thing. They hastily climbed over fallen tree branches and large rocks, fearing whatever it was that waited ahead. The thin branches that extended from the tall trees looked like long eerie fingers in the night, trying to get a hold of them as they rushed by, but this they ignored for all their fear was centered on the ghostly figures. Suddenly, the sounds of deep breathing and groans emitted from behind a couple of trees and bushes that were in front of them and within the bushes stood Aidiaro; staring at something with wide eyes.

"Aidiaro!" Syaika harshly whispered, "What were you thinking?! Why did you follow those things!?"

Aidiaro didn't answer. His wide-eyed stare was fixed on the scene that was taking place before him and his angry sister's harsh words were muffled to him. They looked in the direction of sounds to see three shadowy dragons cornering an injured dragon…a white dragon. Sinful smiles were plastered on the shadow dragons' faces as they slowly approached the weakened white dragon. As upsetting as it was for them to behold, they made no movements towards the dragons from their hiding places to help the doomed creature…all except Aidiaro. He swiftly ran out from his place behind the bushes and trees, heading towards the white dragon and coming in between the shadow dragons and their victim. Syaika let out a scream, showing her growing anger and frustration towards Aidiaro as she and the others reluctantly came out from their hiding spot. The Nightmare dragons looked at Aidiaro curiously, deeming him as a fool for exposing himself as well as coming between them and their victim.

"Leave her alone!!" he screamed at the dragons angrily.

"Her?" questioned Kurogane as he and the others watched him from afar.

"That's it," said Syaika," my brother has officially gone mad."

The dragons looked down at Aidiaro, their faces showing only confusion, no fear whatsoever. They then spread out their wings and folded them around them, making them look like cocoons of shadows and began to shrink in size. The shadows then dispersed and before them stood three human girls, all dressed in similar black outfits. One wore a sleeveless black shirt that had a collar much like Syaoran's regular shirt. Part of the shirt seemed to be ripped away, all except for the shoulder. Underneath the ripped shirt was another tight black shirt that appeared to be leather. The leather shirt underneath went down to her waist while the other ripped shirt only hung upon her ribs. She wore a short black skirt that had long black shorts that stretched down to her knees. Around her waist, legs and arms were brown straps and chains. On her feet were long black socks that had the feet and heels cut out. She wore long black gloves that went up to her elbows and had the fingers cut out. Her hair was black and went down to her waist, while a few long strands hung in front of her face. She wore a black headband and in the back of her head was a ponytail.

The other girl who was the same height as the first had a similar outfit, only the side her shirt was ripped was on the opposite side as the other's. The third girl was smaller then the other two and her shirt was ripped differently then theirs. Her right glove was longer then her left and her left sock was longer then her right. The smaller girl also had long black hair that hung in her face and the other girl had dark brown hair. They all had fierce purple eyes that were cat-like and smiles that were big and mischievous.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," said the lead girl, "An idiot who's trying to be a hero."

"Hehe, can we play with him? Can we!?" asked the small girl.

"Yeah, I bet he'll be lots of fun," agreed the other girl.

"No," said the leader, "He's not for playing with."

Her spiteful smile widened as she approached Aidiaro. Aidiaro stood his ground, glaring hatefully at the strange girl. Both of them tightened their fists as they neared each other. The girl then suddenly stopped, her eyes flashing with frustration and annoyance. There was somewhere they needed to be now. She looked behind her and then back at Aidiaro and the white dragon. She took a quick glance at the others watching them before walking up to Aidiaro. She put her face up to his and grabbed him by the collar.

"Listen you," she whispered harshly, "You're lucky we have to leave. You can have your little dragon but we'll be keeping a close eye on you. Don't think you won't see us again."

Aidiaro looked at her in confusion as she let go of his collar. Upon releasing him from her grip, she immediately punched him hard in the stomach, taking him by surprise as he collapsed to the ground in pain. He looked up to see her smile at him maliciously and walk away back to her fellow dragons. Syaika and the others ran to Aidiaro's side and watched as the three girls were surrounded by shadows and then disappeared into the night, their childish and immoral laughter echoed in the distance.

Aidiaro slowly got up and took deep breaths. He smiled at his worried sister and friends to reassure them that he was fine. They then all turned their attention to the white dragon that was before them. Aidiaro stood up and took a couple of steps towards the luminous dragon. The dragon then straightened its posture and wrapped its wings around itself, like the Nightmare dragons had done. A bright light shined from the dragon and just as suddenly as it appeared, the light dimmed. They then looked and saw a young girl standing before them. She had long black hair that went down to the middle of her back and amber brown eyes that sparkled beautifully. She wore an outfit that was similar to what Sakura was wearing, only it was all white. On her right shoulder was a large wound. She smiled a sweet yet weak smile at them and looked at Aidiaro kindly.

"Aidiaro," she said lovingly.

Aidiaro stared at her with sad eyes and a happy smile. They others stared in disbelieve. Syaoran was right…the white dragon was special…but only to Aidiaro.

_To be continued…

* * *

_

Reprise: Yay…I finished Chapter 2!! I haven't been writing for a while….starting playing my Sims again and forgot all about my stories XD. I hope you all like it and that I can update again soon.

Please R&R!


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